Beloved
by Madmoiselle Liz
Summary: ConnorOC. After Angel is back from the bottom of the Pacific ocean, Connor runs away again, and meets someone unexpected. Little does he know that she'll change his whole life...forever.
1. Default Chapter

Connor was angry. Angry at his father, angry at Wesley, angry at Holtz, angry at the world. angry at himself. Angry at Angel- he shouldn't even call him his father; angry at Wesley for rescuing him from the bottom of the ocean, angry at Holtz for having lied to him his whole life, especially about his real identity. Angry at the world for being like it was, for making him suffer so much. angry at himself for crying.  
  
Connor was crying. He had never done that before, having learned that a man should not cry- especially a fighter.  
  
After Angel had recovered from his ordeal at the bottom of the ocean, he had turned to Connor and forgiven him. Angel had then asked Connor to forgive him for do such a terrible job as a father.  
  
This was what Connor couldn't stand. He had just thrown him into the ocean, making him spend three months there, suffering. And now he came back and actually apologized to him.  
  
So he left, and was now looking for a place to sleep. He had little money and hardly anything else on him. And he was developing a bad cold.  
  
He decided to go to a little beach he knew, hidden away from the city. He had discovered it when he went hunting at night. No one was ever there, and that was why he liked it.  
  
Lying there on the warm sand, not caring about anything, Connor gazed out at the night sky and at the huge wet mass below it. He felt peaceful and serene- something he had experienced only two or three times in his life. Maybe I should just stay here the night, he thought drowsily. It's so nice.  
  
But his self-discipline won over, and rolling over off his back, he got up dusting the sand off his clothes. Lifting his face up to the breeze, he smelled someone. Despite his knowledge that this was a place rarely visited by anyone, he was intrigued, loving the smell. It was the smell of musk, sweet but dangerous at the same time. Connor followed it, realizing that there were other people there. Vampires.  
  
Connor retreated into the shadow provided by the trees behind him, and circled the place from whist the sounds proceeded. He could smell fear now, a cold, metallic smell that usually made him grin sadistically. But not this time.  
  
He could feel them now. The familiar feeling of the dead- dark and haunting, something he'd been used to his whole life. They were circled around someone, talking to it, taunting it like they were playing with their food. Connor approached them silently, trying to see who was going to be tonight's dinner.  
  
"You look depressed tonight, pet," said the biggest of them- quite obviously the leader of the gang from the looks of him. He was circling a girl, slim and with long hair, but Connor couldn't see her face. "Did your boyfriend leave you?"  
  
The other gang members guffawed stupidly at their boss's joke, but the girl didn't seem to appreciate it.  
  
"Oh shut it, really," she said, sounding extremely irritated yet disdainful at the same time. "Get a life."  
  
The vampires were taken aback- and so was Connor. No one dared talk to them like that, and least of all to their leader.  
  
The leader, however, recovered quickly from the shock. "Ooooh, angry are we tonight?" he mocked. "Well, let me tell you something."he leant towards her, and, in a stage whisper, said, "I don't like it when people disrespect me. In fact," he added, straightening again. "I think I should teach you a lesson."  
  
All his followers grinned at each other and murmured their approval.  
  
Shit, thought Connor. That means rape. He resisted the impulse to punch the leader's face in and tried to think rationally like Holtz had taught him. There are five of them and only one of me. But I have the advantage of surprising them. but even if I knock one out, I still have four others to deal with. Then Connor realized something. Dammit! I'm thinking like Holtz! He gritted his teeth. But he was distracted by the commotion going on.  
  
They had grabbed the girl by her arms and were keeping them pinned behind her back. The leader approached, his lip curled. He started reaching for her blouse. But then she did something unexpected- and kicked him. His head, to be exact.  
  
He stumbled backward, morphed into his game face and roared. His followers stared stupidly at her, not believing what she'd just done. She'd just kicked a 300-pound vampire in the head.  
  
"Why you little bitch," the thug snarled. "You'll see what it's like to suffer now!" He stepped towards her, grabbing her thigh, digging his nails into it, as he was about to rip off her jeans. The girl gave an unnatural, earsplitting shriek- and the vampire turned into dust before her.  
  
Connor whirled and staked the one closest to him, wasting no time. Great. Just three more to go. He kicked the one attacking him in the chest, giving him enough time to tackle the other two- the ones holding the girl- and stake one before he recovered.  
  
He turned to the girl once he had dusted the last one. She looked weak and pale, but walked unsteadily towards him. Connor rushed to support her in case she fell, but to his surprise, she turned serenely to face him.  
  
He was sure she was an angel. She was breathtakingly beautiful. He had heard about them from Holtz once, and he had said they were like this, but extremely hard to find. His father was called Angel, but Connor knew he didn't deserve the name. She did. Connor then noticed the entrancing scent from before was hers.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, and kissed him.  
  
Connor was shocked. He had never been kissed, but now he understood what they meant in all the books he had read, in all the movies he had seen. It was fire.  
  
But before he could respond to her, her legs buckled and she was forced to let go. Connor held her unconscious body and realized why. Moving his hand away from her side, he found it covered in blood where one of the vampires had stabbed her.  
  
Angels don't bleed.  
  
Connor didn't have time to be disappointed. Someone gasped behind him. Looking up, he noticed the man gave the same impression his father did. The tall, dark man started towards them, his gazed transfixed on the girl.  
  
"Iris."  
  
Realizing what the situation looked like, Connor tried to explain. "She's not dead. She's just wounded. And I- I didn't do it," he added stupidly.  
  
"I know, I know," the man answered, brushing him away and laying Iris on the ground. "Oh God, I told her not to do that again. She could have been killed," he murmured, shakily laying his hands on her open wound. Suddenly there was a small white glow and she opened her eyes, gasping and sitting up quickly.  
  
"Oh thank God, Dad," she cried, hugging him hard. He hugged her back, laughing in relief.  
  
So this is her father, thought Connor, still slightly puzzled at what had happened. Not to mention amazed. He stalked wordlessly off, sure he wasn't needed any more and not wanting to get into trouble.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
He froze, turning slowly around.  
  
The man was looking at him with new interest. "You staked those vampires?"  
  
Connor nodded, still wary of him.  
  
"Then you saved my daughter," he said standing up. "You should be rewarded. Is there anything you need?"  
  
Connor thought of a bed, his next meal and where he was going to get money for it. He shook his head.  
  
The man gave a rather lopsided grin. "Don't be modest. Surely there must be something-"  
  
"Don't," said Connor in a roughly. "It's what I do."  
  
"But you-"  
  
Connor disappeared into the shadows before the man had a chance to say anything. Before he could change his mind.  
  
She was not an angel, he found out. She had a father. But that didn't stop him from dreaming about her kiss the following nights. Or of trying to find her scent the following days.  
  
The thought of her kept him alive. 


	2. The shopping spree

Chapter 2  
  
Things were not the same at Angel Investigations. There still was work to do, but it had been postponed during the search for Angel. And even now that he was there, it still seemed as though he wasn't.  
  
Things were never the same since Cordy disappeared. Lorne, always up to something, did not let any disappearances hinder his progress in Caritas, and he spent most of the time away at the club.  
  
Wes, as was in his style, rescued Angel from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, stayed long enough to make sure he was all right... and left.  
  
"Typical," Gunn would mutter, shaking his head.  
  
Back to Angel. He was brooding, as usual. But everyone was so used to seeing him do it, that after several attempts to cheer him up they left him alone. As usual.  
  
Fred knew he wasn't sleeping. His bed was untouched in the morning. And she'd noticed his absence at night. But she had sense enough to not mention it to anyone. She knew he was watching Connor.  
  
After searching for him, Angel realized the boy was getting along fine. He was made for this. Connor could take care of himself. Angel just needed to make sure of that.  
  
Then, one morning, there was a letter for Angel in the mail. Fred handed it to him at breakfast as she read the paper.  
  
Angel read the letter and rushed up the stairs, taking three at a time. Fred only had enough time to look at Gunn bewilderedly before he called to her.  
  
"Fred," he yelled from the second story. "Which is our best room?"  
  
Gunn had his fork halfway between the plate and his mouth, with an apparently forgotten piece of bacon on it. His mouth slightly open, he stared at Fred for an explanation for Angel's sudden joviality.  
  
"Number 13," she called back, choking slightly on her piece of toast. "The only one with a balcony."  
  
There was a moment's pause.  
  
"We need new sheets!" he yelled. "And a comforter!"  
  
He appeared at the kitchen door, beaming at them. "We're going shopping," he announced, and left again.  
  
Gunn, still in the same position, gave an even more questioning look at Fred. She, however, was looking worriedly towards where Angel had disappeared.  
  
"But you can't go out," she called. "It's sunny outside!"  
  
Then, glancing at Gunn, she frowned. "Are you gonna eat that bacon or not?"  
  
Gunn sank down into a couch, placing beside him half-a-dozen packages, half of what they had acquired during Angel and Fred's shopping spree. Personally, he didn't like shopping, but since nobody asked...  
  
Angel bought, aside from new sheets, pillows, books, towels and many other objects, including flowers and a comforter. He kept asking for Fred's advice, especially on the comforter.  
  
"Which one do you like?" he asked Fred immediately upon entering the store.  
  
Taken aback, she took a while to answer. "Um...the white one?" She pointed it out.  
  
Angel then told her she had good taste, and proceeded to ask for her opinion on the matching cushions, curtains and shag rug. Fred was delighted, yet bewildered.  
  
Back at the Hiperion, they all sat down to rest, but Angel soon was active again, placing the brand-new things in the room and decorating it. Gunn and Fred soon went up to watch him, too tired to help him themselves.  
  
"Um, Angel?" said Fred timidly, encouraged by Gunn. "Who is this for?"  
  
Angel stopped what he was doing, looked up at them and sat down.  
  
"An old friend," he finally answered. "He needs a favor from me."  
  
"Him?" questioned Gunn, noticing the obviously female taste in decorating.  
  
"He has a daughter," Angel put in rapidly. Silence ensued.  
  
"When are they coming?"  
  
"Tonight," answered Angel, brightening up noticeably. He got back to work.  
  
Lorne returned an hour later, and was fully informed by Gunn as to what was happening.  
  
"What old friend?" he asked Angel.  
  
"James," was the answer.  
  
"Oh, James!" exclaimed Lorne. "The guy that...?"  
  
Angel nodded solemnly.  
  
"Ohhh," was all Lorne said, nodding thoughtfully. "Is his daughter coming?"  
  
Again the vampire nodded.  
  
This caused Lorne to nod even more.  
  
Fred and Gunn were perplexed. Fred didn't like being perplexed.  
  
"What," she said, as calmly as possible, "is going on?"  
  
Lorne looked at her. "James is an old friend of Angel's. He's a bounty hunter- he followed Angelus all the way to America. When Angel was given his soul, James was given immortality in payment for getting rid of Angelus," Lorne said, sighing.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Well?" Fred prodded Lorne on. "And then?"  
  
"A vamp Angelus had sired had seduced James into ... well, you know," he said meaningfully. "'Course, this was almost two decades ago. When she was about to suck him dry, Angel saved him, but she got away. Then the weirdest thing happened. She had his child. Yeah," he added, seeing his audiences' faces. "It's happened before. Mostly with the ones sired by Angelus." He nodded towards where Angel was sulking. "The rest is history." 


End file.
